Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Equatorial Guinea Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Equatorial Guinea

Name: Equatorial Guinea
Address: GQ

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,020 in South Africa versus $1,121 in Equatorial Guinea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,587 in South Africa versus $1,801 in Equatorial Guinea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,154 in South Africa versus $2,480 in Equatorial Guinea.

Living in South Africa costs about 9% less than in Equatorial Guinea on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: South Africa 24% lower, Equatorial Guinea 16% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Equatorial Guinea: monthly costs span $589 to $1,654, compared to $803–$1,362 in South Africa. City choice carries more weight in Equatorial Guinea.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R 151

$16.81 FCFA 9,640

-45.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 648

$70.4 FCFA 40.4K

-44.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.9

$8.94 FCFA 5,130

-41.95%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.73

$3.99 FCFA 2,286

-50.38%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 R 16.57

$0.99 FCFA 566

1.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 13.01

$0.86 FCFA 496

-8.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.61

$3.59 FCFA 2,056

-38.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.58

$4.45 FCFA 2,550

-42.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.56

$2.73 FCFA 1,568

-58.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 R 16.01

$3.44 FCFA 1,974

-71.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.55

$2.58 FCFA 1,478

-40.31%

Eggs

$2.25 R 37.22

$2.86 FCFA 1,638

-21.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 130

$8.59 FCFA 4,929

-8.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 75.8

$6.94 FCFA 3,981

-34.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 111

$8.37 FCFA 4,802

-20.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.06

$7.45 FCFA 4,275

-78.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.35

$1.77 FCFA 1,017

-16.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.18

$7.21 FCFA 4,138

-78.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.98

$3.89 FCFA 2,229

-61.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.85

$3.06 FCFA 1,755

-58.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 21.11

$3.14 FCFA 1,800

-59.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.99

$0.85 FCFA 490

28.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.04

$2.01 FCFA 1,154

-51.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 46.95

$4.84 FCFA 2,778

-41.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 86.1

$6.13 FCFA 3,518

-15.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.91

$2.49 FCFA 1,431

-44.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.44

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.50

$1.33 FCFA 765

29.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 732

$26.56 FCFA 15.2K

66.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.06

$0.89 FCFA 511

29.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.64

$0.80 FCFA 460

33.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 78.4

$8.68 FCFA 4,981

-45.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.24

$1.09 FCFA 624

17.43%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$20.4K R 337.1K

$33.9K FCFA 19.4M

-39.84%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$24.0K R 397.0K

$29.8K FCFA 17.1M

-19.44%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$113 R 1,869

$353 FCFA 202.6K

-68.03%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$32.35 R 536

$17.38 FCFA 9,970

86.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.46 R 686

$139 FCFA 79.5K

-70.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 514

$94.0 FCFA 53.9K

-66.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 161

$14.51 FCFA 8,325

-33.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

$5.35 FCFA 3,068

24.67%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$186 R 3,072

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.8K

$347 FCFA 199.2K

1166.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 830

$59.8 FCFA 34.3K

-16.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 503

$95.5 FCFA 54.8K

-68.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,546

$164 FCFA 94.0K

-43.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,332

$137 FCFA 78.4K

-41.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R 7,261

$349 FCFA 200.0K

25.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,155

$185 FCFA 105.9K

101.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.9K

$718 FCFA 411.9K

25.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.7K

$448 FCFA 256.8K

57.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,116 R 18.5K

$833 FCFA 477.9K

33.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$793 R 13.1K

$648 FCFA 371.6K

22.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,506 R 24.9K

$789 FCFA 452.7K

90.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

6.8

69.85%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Last update for Equatorial Guinea: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $368 in South Africa, $329 in Equatorial Guinea. Capital cities: $292 in Bloemfontein vs $267 in Malabo.

National salary averages: $1,513 in South Africa, $785 in Equatorial Guinea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 12% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 80% more in Equatorial Guinea.

Public transport is 23% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 93% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

South Africa vs Equatorial Guinea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,122 per month in Equatorial Guinea and $1,083 in South Africa, there's a 4% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in South Africa: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Equatorial Guinea is consistently higher than in South Africa across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In South Africa, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in Equatorial Guinea it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: South Africa wins on affordability; Equatorial Guinea may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.